How it was

From 22 to 25 September an extraordinary event took place in Moscow: the first Imaginative Mathematics Fest.

The festival was held by Steklov Mathematical Institute supported by the Dynasty Foundation and with the assistance of  MCCME, Kvant journal, the Mathematical Etudes Project. Live Internet broadcast was provided by Ural mathematicians from Vidicor. Information support was carried out by the Gazeta.ru. The ORT and the Vedomosti told about the Fest. Jin Akiyama lecture on mathematics popularization was published in the Computerra.

Valuable assistance was given by Roman Koksharov(web-designer), Alexey Garber (MIAS), Elena Zernyshkina (professor of ОТИ МИФИ), Alexander Kazakov (schoolboy), Nikita Panyunin(MSU), Konstantin Petrov (Dynasty Foundation), Gury Samarin (MSU); 10-th grade schoolchildren from 91 school Margarita Aleksandrova, Andrey Pulinets and Andrey Hropov; operations staff of MIAS conference hall Victor Samusko and Eugenie Efremov; MIAS  computer technology specialists Alexander Izaak, Michail Malovichko, Alexei Permitin, Sergey Smirnov.

Photographers: Olga Misjurina (MIAS), Svetlana Tretjakova, Vasilij Yaroshevich (MSU).

Thanks a lot to all those who participated in holding the Fest.

Festival was opened by MIAS deputy director, Corresponding Member of the RAS Dmitriy Treshev and MIAS scientific secretary, member of the Kvant journal editorial board Sergey Konovalov.

101-years academician Sergey Nikolskii, the author of school textbooks and the man who stands up for Russian education said warm word about the festival.

The opening of the festival observed in Ekaterinburg. Academician Nikolai Krasovskii who devotes much time to work with schoolchildren was among present. The diploma of UNESCO was transmitted to him by means of the video bridge.

On the first day academician Vladimir Arnold gave a lecture “Struggle for education”. And legendary Nikolai Konstantinov reflected on “Why schoolchildren comes to mathematical circles”.

The flavour of the Fest was the lecture of Japanese mathematician and popular TV presenter Jin Akiyama and his colleague Toshinori Sakai.

Jin Akiyama brought several boxes of models for his performance.

Jin Akiyama and Toshinori Sakai Mathematical Circus Show was extremely fascinating!

Toshinori Sakai, a member of Jin Akiyama team, assisted him.

Thanks a lot to a wonderful interpreter Aleksey Semikhatov who agreed to translate Jin’s lecture. His translation made the performance brighter and pleased auditory.

Russian mathematicians and science popularisers gave exciting lectures on the festival.

Nikolai Andreev presented the unique Russian project Mathematical Etudes. Nikolai Dolbilin told about the connection of polyhedron theory and ancient Japan art origami. Sergey Konovalov revealed how to calculate the best strategy in the computer game Age of Empires. Aleksey Sosinskiy told about singular soap films and showed the examples. Ivan Yashchenko demonstrated how to solve interesting mathematical problems in non-standart ways.

Japan mathematician Yukinao Isokawa took part in the festival.

School teachers and textbook writers participated in the festival.      

Academician Nikolai Krasovskii who observed the festival by means of the video bridge between Moscow and Ekaterinburg took part in a round table discussion on educational questions.

Schoolchildren and teachers were delighted with the festival. We will try to make it annual.

Festival video-records you can find here.

Up to new meetings!